2 Corinthians 6-7

English Standard Version

6 ^(A)Working together with him, then, ^(B)we appeal to you ^(C)not to receive the grace of God in vain. ²For he says,

^(D)“In a favorable time I listened to you,
and in a day of salvation I have helped you.”

Behold, ^(E)now is the ^(F)favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation. ³We ^(G)put no obstacle in anyone's way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry, ⁴but ^(H)as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: ^(I)by great endurance, ^(J)in afflictions, ^(K)hardships, calamities, ⁵^(L)beatings, imprisonments, ^(M)riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger; ⁶^(N)by purity, ^(O)knowledge, patience, kindness, ^(P)the Holy Spirit, ^(Q)genuine love; ⁷by ^(R)truthful speech, and ^(S)the power of God; with ^(T)the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left; ⁸through honor and dishonor, ^(U)through slander and praise. We are treated as impostors, and yet are true; ⁹as unknown, and ^(V)yet well known; ^(W)as dying, and behold, we live; ^(X)as punished, and yet not killed; ¹⁰^(Y)as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; ^(Z)as poor, yet making many rich; ^(AA)as having nothing, ^(AB)yet possessing everything.

¹¹We have spoken freely to you,^[a] Corinthians; ^(AC)our heart is wide open. ¹²You are not restricted by us, but ^(AD)you are restricted in your own affections. ¹³^(AE)In return (I speak ^(AF)as to children) widen your hearts also.

The Temple of the Living God

¹⁴^(AG)Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For ^(AH)what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or ^(AI)what fellowship has light with darkness? ¹⁵^(AJ)What accord has Christ with Belial?^[b] Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever? ¹⁶What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For ^(AK)we are the temple of the living God; as God said,

^(AL)“I will make my dwelling among them and ^(AM)walk among them,
    and ^(AN)I will be their God,
    and they shall be my people.
¹⁷Therefore ^(AO)go out from their midst,
    and be separate from them, says the Lord,
and touch no unclean thing;
    then I will welcome you,
¹⁸^(AP)and I will be a father to you,
    and you shall be sons and daughters to me,
says the Lord Almighty.”

7 Since we have these promises, beloved, ^(AQ)let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body^[c] and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God.

Paul's Joy

²^(AR)Make room in your hearts^[d] for us. ^(AS)We have wronged no one, we have corrupted no one, we have taken advantage of no one. ³I do not say this to condemn you, for I said before that ^(AT)you are in our hearts, to die together and to live together. ⁴I am acting with ^(AU)great boldness toward you; ^(AV)I have great pride in you; ^(AW)I am filled with comfort. In all our affliction, I am overflowing with joy.

⁵For even ^(AX)when we came into Macedonia, our bodies had no rest, but we were afflicted at every turn—^(AY)fighting without and fear within. ⁶But ^(AZ)God, who comforts the downcast, ^(BA)comforted us by the coming of Titus, ⁷and not only by his coming but also by the comfort with which he was comforted by you, as he told us of your longing, your mourning, your zeal for me, so that I rejoiced still more. ⁸For ^(BB)even if I made you grieve with my letter, I do not regret it—though ^(BC)I did regret it, for I see that that letter grieved you, though only for a while. ⁹As it is, I rejoice, not because you were grieved, but ^(BD)because you were grieved into repenting. For you felt a godly grief, so that you suffered no loss through us.

¹⁰For ^(BE)godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas ^(BF)worldly grief produces death. ¹¹For see what earnestness this godly grief has produced in you, but also what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what longing, ^(BG)what zeal, what punishment! At every point you have proved yourselves innocent in the matter. ¹²So although I wrote to you, it was not for the sake of the one ^(BH)who did the wrong, nor for the sake of the one who suffered the wrong, but in order that your earnestness for us might be revealed to you in the sight of God. ¹³Therefore ^(BI)we are comforted.

And besides our own comfort, we rejoiced still more at the joy of Titus, because his spirit ^(BJ)has been refreshed by you all. ¹⁴For ^(BK)whatever boasts I made to him about you, I was not put to shame. But just as everything we said to you ^(BL)was true, so also our boasting before Titus has proved true. ¹⁵And his affection for you is even greater, as he remembers ^(BM)the obedience of you all, how you received him with fear and trembling. ¹⁶I rejoice, because I have complete ^(BN)confidence in you.